Isobel Carver

Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art)

My sculptural practice utilises the melting and fusing qualities of the ceramic process to incorporate found, rusted and aged metal objects, documenting the material transformation of porcelain and metal. Tactility and the sense of touch are central to my practice, introduced through palpable surface qualities as a means of re-conceptualising conventional methods of creating, collecting and exhibiting that value sight over multi-sensory methods of engagement. Recent works materialise the traditions surrounding the use of textiles in mourning, connecting concepts of the memento-mori and the matrilineality of my heritage. Metal becomes a tangible representation of place, with material being sourced from the demolition of my late grandmother's home. Presence and absence are engaged in the suggestion of a mould that is no longer in place, with the physical forms of distressed textiles being preserved by being cast in porcelain. The metal additions do not retain their initial strength after being fired, often becoming brittle and fragile. The casted fabric slabs reflect the mimetic qualities of porcelain in its ability to resemble the intricate surface qualities of materials other than clay. Ambiguity in the material makeup of the forms demonstrates the malleability and plasticity of the medium, in which touch and the experience of tactility are inseparable from the process.

@m.ollj